Workshop: Science Writing - From a Blank Page to the Finished Paper without Burning Out in the Process

Scientists are writers. Writing is how scientists communicate their work and initiatives to the world. And it is their writing that people judge to assess the quality of their research. Writing is one of the most important skills for a scientist, yet one of the most difficult to master.

Target Group

Young to experienced faculty members who want to learn strategies to write more productively, cope with self-doubts and frustrations and experience flow in writing.

Goals

• Learn the elements that characterize excellent scientific articles/theses
• Identify the steps involved in writing a scientific project and learn how to make them more effective
• Learn to cope with the psychological challenges that hinder the flow of writing, such as doubts, fears and discouragement
• Set concrete writing goals
• Become a more competent and productive science writer

Content

This scientific writing workshop aims to help junior and established researchers improve their writing skills. The workshop provides concrete tools and methods to write effectively and to develop self-confidence and organizational skills.

The workshop is structured in three main parts:

• In the first part, participants learn the elements of structure and style that characterize excellent scientific papers.
• The second part focuses on the writing process and provides tips to write more effectively.
• The third part addresses the organizational and psychological challenges encountered whilst writing (motivation, goal setting, time management, procrastination, selfdoubts...).

Methods

This workshop is interactive and takes place in a relaxed atmosphere. It consists of discussions, individual and group exercises, and short lectures. The inputs and methods taught in this workshop are easy to use, effective, and directly applicable to the participants' current situation.

The main part of the workshop takes place over the first two days. It covers the three themes described above, i.e., the structure of scientific articles, the writing process and the psychological challenges. At the end of these two days, to ensure that participants will put into practice what they have learned during the workshop, they set writing objectives and make an action plan for the coming weeks. A few weeks later, the group meets again for a half-day, during which participants reflect on their challenges and strengths and set new writing goals.

Structure

Monday, 17 October 2022, 9.00 am - 5.00 pm: WU Campus
Tuesday, 18 October 2022, 9.00 am - 5.00 pm: WU Campus
Tuesday, 8 November 2022, 9.00 am - 12.00 am: Zoom call

• Learn the elements that characterize excellent scientific articles/theses
• Identify the steps involved in writing a scientific project and learn how to make them more effective.
• Learn to cope with the psychological challenges that hinder the flow of writing, such as doubts, fears and discouragement
• Set concrete writing goals
• Become a more competent and productive science writer